Berlin, 10 November 2025 - A few days before the 2026 budget consultations, four key players in the German film and cinema industry - the HDF Cinemawhich AG Cinema - Guildthe Federal Association of Municipal Film Work (BkF) and the AG Film Festival - published a joint position paper. Under the title "No impact without an audience! - Why film needs funding that thinks ahead" they are calling for a reorganisation of German film funding.

The focus is on the appeal to promote more strongly orientated towards the audience. According to the associations, producing films is only the first step - it is crucial that they are also seen and experienced become. Cinemas and festivals would create places of encounter and thus make the social and cultural impact of film possible in the first place.

The associations are therefore in favour of a Change from production promotion to impact promotion out. Film promotion only fulfils its cultural role when films reach people.

"Without cinema, film lacks a home, without an audience it misses its purpose," the paper states.

With regard to the political agenda, the associations emphasise the need for a Promotion policy that covers the entire impact chain of the film from its creation to its presentation and cultural mediation.